SIX Players to follow Max Meyer to Liverpool

According to the Metro, keen to continue doing their business early this summer, Liverpool are preparing an £8million bid for Schalke midfielder Max Meyer.

The 18 year-old has been good form this season to find six goals and three assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances, resultantly catching a wealth of Premier League attention.

Boasting great technical qualities, mobility and dribbling ability, many have compared the one-cap German international to Mario Gotze and and Lionel Messi. He’d certainly fit Brendan Rodgers’ recurring theme of youthful, ambitious signings with huge potential.

But as the Reds welcome Champions League football back to Anfield for the first time since 2010 next season, it’s unlikely Meyer will be the Mersey outfit’s final acquisition this summer.

With that in mind, here’s a list of SIX players who could follow Meyer to Liverpool – some inspired by his arrival, others more coincidental.

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JEFFERSON FARFAN

Amid Liverpool’s need for an established winger, Max Meyer could soon find himself joined at Anfield by Schalke teammate and long-term Reds target Jefferson Farfan.

Admittedly, at 29 years of age the Peruvian pacer lacks longevity, but he’s renowned as one of Europe’s most potent widemen, with a return of 39 goals in 161 Bundesliga outings for the Miners and 57 in 119 at former club PSV.

Despite batting with injury, the Peru international has been in good form this season, claiming nine goals and five assists in 19 league outings.

Furthermore, with Schalke reportedly keen to cash-in before Farfan’s age takes a toll on his price-tag, it was reported in February that the four-time Eredivise winger could be available for around £10million this summer.

He’d be a smart, pragmatic addition to the Mersey outfit’s squad, offering further fire-power and some much-needed natural width. But Brendan Rodgers will hold concerns over signing a player who turns 30 in October.

ANDRE AYEW

Another coveted winger hotly linked with a Liverpool switch this summer is Marseille man Andre Ayew.

The 24 year-old offers fantastic firepower from the left-hand side, with a return of 49 goals and 16 assists in 161 appearances for L’OM, including two goals in four Champions League outings this season.

He comes with a big profile on the international scene too; Ayew helped Ghana reach a World Cup quarter-final in 2010 and a year later was named BBC’s African Player of the Year.

The Black Stars midfielder is strong, powerful, direct and incredibly versatile – he’s featured in a wealth of positions for Marseille this season, ranging from defensive midfield to supporting striker.

Furthermore, with just a year left on his contract and having clearly outgrown his surroundings at Stade Velodrome, Ayew has been expected to leave the French outfit this summer for some time.

That could resultantly see him arrive at Anfield for around £12million, but Spurs, Arsenal and several Serie A sides are also keen.

KYRIAKOS PAPADOPOULOS

Another Schalke star known to be on the Anfield radar is centre-back prodigy Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who was strongly linked with a switch to Merseyside last summer.

The 22 year-old is famed for his juxtaposing baby-face and notorious short temper, but is also regarded as one of the most promising defensive talents in Europe.

That reputation comes from his time at Olympiacos, where Papadopoulos became the Greek Super League’s youngest ever debutant at just 15 years of age.

He’s since made over 100 competitive appearances for the Miners after joining them summer 2010 and has impressed throughout via his aggressive front-footed defending.

It’s believed the 16-cap Greek international is valued at £12million by Schalke, but having missed the vast majority of the current campaign through injury there will be serious doubts over his fitness.

XHERDAN SHAQIRI

A third and final Bundesliga-sourced addition said to be in Brendan Rodgers’ transfer thinking is Bayern Munich starlet Xherdan Shaqiri.

Capable of playing on either flank or as a No.10, the attacking midfielder would certainly meet the Anfield gaffer’s self-declared requirement for ‘multipurpose signings’ this summer.

The 22 year-old has proved a useful cameo performer for the German champions following his move to the Allianz Arena from FC Basel in summer 2012, where he had previously won consecutive Swiss Player of the Year awards, finding six goals and two assists in 17 Bundesliga outings this season.

But having to contend with a world-class roster for a regular place in the Bavarians first team, the 32-cap Switzerland star is concerned his progress is being stifled in the German capital.

It’s believed negotiations between the Reds and Bayern are already underway, with the British tabloids valuing the Swiss prodigy at around £15million.

DEJAN LOVREN

Next on this list is centre-back Dejan Lovren, with the Daily Mail reporting earlier this week that the Croatian has handed in a transfer request at Southampton in a bid to force a move to Anfield this summer.

The 24 year-old joined the Saints from Lyon last summer in an £8.5million deal and has since proved to be a major coup. A near eternal presence in the St. Mary’s defence, the south coast outfit have finished the season with the fifth-best goals conceded record in the Premier League.

Lovren’s individual performances have been equally impressive, with his average of 2.7 interceptions per match only bettered by three Premier League centre-backs.

An effective aerial combatant, an astute reader of the game, relatively quick and comfortable with the ball at his feet, the 6 foot 2 centre-half would be an impressive addition to the Liverpool backline.

DELE ALLI

Max Meyer could be soon joined at Anfield by another widely coveted wonder-kid in the form of MK Dons prodigy Dele Alli, who has been described by the Guardian as ‘the best player this club has produced in its short history’.